DIRECTOR | WRITER | CURATOR | EVENTS

Aisha Bolaji is a queer Nigerian-Irish filmmaker whose distinct creative vision is making waves in the Irish industry. With a specilisation in Fiction Direction and Production, Aisha was the first Black woman to graduate from The National Film School, IADT with a BA in Film & Television Production. Their work embodies a fantastical, fun, and colourful approach to storytelling, with a strong dedication to showcasing underrepresented communities. Aisha’s award-winning graduate film ‘End of the World Tour’ received funding from South Dublin County Council, Creative Ireland Programme and Metropolitan Films (Disenchanted, Harry Wild, Vikings:Valhala, Kin, The Banshees of Inisherin).

Their latest short film, ‘Why the Sun & Moon Live in the Sky’, was shortlisted for the Virgin Media Discovers Short Film Competition in 2022 and won the Creative Ireland South Dublin Film Award in 2023. The film premiered at the Academy Award qualifying 36th Galway Film Fleadh, where Aisha was nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award, and has screened at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival in the UK, as well as other prestigious Irish festivals, including Cork International Film Festival and Kerry International Film Festival. The film was most recently nominated as Best Irish Short Film for the Kinsale Shark Awards. 

Aisha’s next short film, ‘Starlets’, is being funded by Screen Ireland under the Focus Shorts scheme. Her feature screenplay ‘Welcome to the Plague Pit’ was selected for the Galway Film Fleadh’s development workshops Stowe Story Labs Facing In / Facing Out. 

Beyond screenwriting and directing, Aisha is a film curator and programmer with 7 years experience under their belt. They are currently one of two shorts programmers for the Dublin International Film Festival and participating in various Irish short form screenings and festivals. Aisha also works in hybrid production company and post-house Motherland as their film development coordinator, guiding projects from concept to pre-production, providing script feedback and researching industry trends. Aisha also develops festival strategies and prepares funding applications to secure support, acting as a bridge between creative teams and executives.

As co-founder of The GALPAL Collective and a leading advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts and media sectors in Ireland, Aisha has led initiatives to bridge gaps for young people from marginalised communities. Through the GALPAL Collective Aisha has spearheaded projects in collaboration with organisations such as Diageo, Screen Ireland, GORM, The Irish Film Institute, CnaM and more. Recently, they were nominated for South Dublin Woman of the Year, recognising their impact on the arts and commitment to DEI.